Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Bobby Baker scandal

Bobby Baker was an aid to Senator Lyndon Johnson, who was involve in server scandalous activities with prominent mob bosses. Baker started out as a page for Johnson when he was only fourteen year old. Baker was so loyal to Johnson that when he became a vice president for John F. Kennedy Baker was his secretary. In 1962 Baker got with mobster Giancana and Meyer Lansky in helping the Intercontinental Hotels Group in build a casinos in the Dominican Republic, which would later serve as the new "Cuba" for the Mob. Baker continued to do business with the mob in the Dominican Republic, believing that the Dominican Republic could be the next Mafia in replacement for Cuba. Baker later get involve in the Quorum Club, which was secretly own by Johnson. He later would establish the Serve-U-Corporation with his friend, Fred Black, and mobsters Ed Levenson and Benny Sigelbaum. The company was to provide vending machines for companies that were working on federally granted programs. A company that was secretly own by Sam Giancana manufactured the machines and other mobsters based in Chicago.

Even though Bobby Baker official income came from this aid from Lyndon B. Johnson, he was a wealth man. Then rumors began to spread that he was involve in corrupt activities. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy stated to investigate baker, he discovered Baker's links to several Mafia bosses. Robert Kennedy also found evidence that Johnson was also involved in political corruption, including the awarding of a $7 billion contract for a fighter plane to Texas-based General Dynamics. Throughout the investigation Robert Kennedy also found that Baker was, involve in procuring women for President John F. Kennedy. In 1967, Bobby Baker was found guilty of 7 counts of theft, fraud and income tax evasion, also he resign as Secretary to the Senate on October 7, 1963.